The Ghost 16 will continue to be one of the most reliable neutral shoes available on the market. The Ghost is a staple for both the savvy allied health referrers and the general running public. It is the number 1 shoe for Brooks in sales globally and ranks number 2 in Australia.
You may have seen the 16th version since it was released on May 1st. The key updates are: a move to DNA Loft V3, our nitrogen infused midsole cushioning and the addition of our new Road Tack rubber. Road tack offers 50% improved abrasion resistance compared to the green rubber we used previously. In other words, it performs equally but is more durable.
By utilising Road Tack rubber we were able to reduce the thickness of outsole rubber from 3.5mm down from 4.5mm. One of the other goals for this shoe was that we wanted to keep the total stack height of the shoe the same. Given this we were able to increase the midsole height to 25mm in the rearfoot and 13mm in the forefoot. We maintain a protective 12mm pitch, but the shoe delivers an extra mm of premium responsive cushioning material.
Ghost 15 – 24/12 stack height + 4.5mm outsole = 28.5/16.5mm
Ghost 16 – 25/13 stack height + 3.5mm outsole = 28.5/16.5 mm (but with more cushioning and more durability)
Another important aspect of the new Ghost 16 for allied health practitioners is that we have increased the ground contact of the Ghost 16 in the midfoot to provide even more support.
This is easily visualised when holding both the 15 and 16 in your hand but for those that don’t have access, you can refer to the image below.
This is important because sometimes the best option for your patient is a traditionally stacked shoe with good torsional control. Especially as there is lots of highly stacked shoes around that are too soft and unstable. This is where the Ghost excels. Low stack, high pitch, shock attenuating midsole that is low displacement.
In other words, accommodating for low ground clearance and balance issues, a protected ankle joint/achilles, shock absorbing midsole that actually protects the joints rather than just being excessively soft.
Finally, the Ghost 16 is a beauty for accommodating an orthotic. The increased ground contact allows the orthotic to sit on a predictable and stable foundation so that it can effectively transfer forces as you have prescribed. The shoe also has a very structured but plush heel counter so that the rear foot feels comfortable and secure but the shoe also holds your orthotic in place effectively so that it can do its job with minimal distortion.
